This invention relates generally to the field of electronic devices and systems, and more specifically to heat dissipation in electronic devices.
The ability of an electronic device to stay within a specified temperature region is directly related to the reliability and performance of the electronic device. Many electronic devices have strict temperature requirements for correct operation, and performance and lifetime are very sensitive to operation outside these temperature requirements. When an electronic component within a system overheats, often the entire electronic system is affected. There are many techniques available to help dissipate heat around an electronic component. Heat sinks are commonly employed in electronic systems where space is limited. Referring to FIG. 1, a simplified side view of a heat sink 100 is shown according to the prior art. Heat sink 100 is coupled to an electronic component 140 through the use of a heat sink/component interface 130. The interface 130 allows for a tight coupling between the heat sink 100 and the electronic component 140. The interface 130 is also coupled to a heat sink base 120. The heat sink base 120 acts as the primary conduction path for heat generated by electronic component 140. Heat sink base is coupled to a plethora of heat sink pins 110. The heat sink pins 110 provide several functions, including dissipation of heat generated by electronic component 140 and the creation of turbulence in the air flowing over the heat sink pins 110.
Pinned heat sinks are useful when applied in a staggered fashion where each device or component is in a different part of the airflow stream. However, when several heat sinks are placed in a line, forming a trough-shaped array, the airflow over the heat sinks tends to be uniform and the heat sinks ability to create turbulence is reduced. The propensity of the heat sinks to create thermal turbulence is critical, because turbulent airflow increases the efficiency of the heat sinks and effectively increases the heat dissipated around an electronic component. However, staggering of the heat sinks is not always a possibility due to electrical wiring lengths that have to be consistent. Moreover, orienting a heat sink in a staggered fashion may require that the heat sink hang over the edge of the component. This may not always be possible due to the geometry of the region surrounding the component.
The present invention discloses a structure for the dissipation of heat in the area around one or more electronic devices or components. Heat dissipation is achieved by the use of one or more heat sinks coupled to the one or more electronic components. The heat sinks contain a plurality of pins, where the pins associated with a particular heat sink may not be vertical, but instead are at an elevation angle relative to the base of the heat sink. The bases of the heat sinks may be rotated with respect to one another, where the rotation takes place in the plane containing the base of a particular heat sink. The net effect of the rotation of the bases of the heat sink and the elevation angle of the pins causes the flow of air across the surface of the pins to be disrupted. The increase in turbulent air flow over the heat sinks increases the efficiency of the heat sinks, providing a greater heat dissipation capability.